Press Room

ABINGTON TOWNSHIP FIRE DEPARTMENT VOLUNTEERS REACH OUT TO STUDENT COMMUNITY
DURING DECEMBER 4, 2009 VISIT TO ABINGTON SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

ABINGTON – Being able to chat with an Abington Township Fire Department (ATFD) volunteer during lunch was the “perfect” opportunity for Abington Senior High School senior Andrew Crockett to learn more about becoming a firefighter.

Andrew said he became interested in firefighting after volunteering for the local ambulance squad, since the two types of responders often overlap at emergency scenes.

“I was thinking it would be so cool if I could do both – I could be a lot more useful,” he said, after filling out an application to become a volunteer.

When it comes to recruiting new volunteers, local high schools are one of the best places to go, said Roslyn Fire Company firefighter Matthew Orzechowski, who was one of the ATFD volunteers who visited Abington Senior High School on Dec. 4th to introduce more young people to the fire department. Mr. Orzechowski, who was available at an information table to answer questions, noted that young people typically make good recruits.

“All the kids are young and we want them to move up the chain,” he said. “As our firefighters become older, we need younger ones to take over some of the more physically demanding tasks.”

Monica Hobgood, also a Roslyn volunteer and a high school student who belongs to the school’s Firefighters Club, said it’s important for her peers to realize they can join at a young age.

“This let’s everyone else know we’re out there and that kids our own age are the ones who are doing it,” she said. “People come up all day and say, ‘Wow, I didn’t know I could do that.’”

The volunteers are there to answer questions – everything from whether or not they enjoy fighting fires to how the equipment works to how many hours of training are involved in becoming a volunteer. In addition to introducing students to firefighting, the Dec. 4th visit also provided a lesson in fire safety. ATFD members outside the cafeteria showed high school
students how to operate a fire extinguisher. A number of students crowded around for a chance to douse the flames on a portable burner. Tenth‐grader Austin Corwell appreciated the opportunity to learn.

“I didn’t know how to use a fire extinguisher,” he said.

Other students spent some time looking at the various fire apparatus parked outside the high school cafeteria. ATFD Fire Services Administrator Dave Schramm said the ATFD is fortunate to have strong ties within the high school so that events like the one on Dec. 4th can be arranged on an annual basis.

“With cooperation from school officials, we are lucky that we have several opportunities throughout the school year where we can reach out directly to students,” said Mr. Schramm.“Having access to young people is critical to our efforts to recruit new members who can carry on our strong volunteer tradition.”

The ATFD headquarters is located at 1176 Old York Road in Abington. For more information, call (267) 536‐1055 or visit AbingtonFD.org